Chelsea are rivalling a number of top clubs for the signature of Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown this summer.
The Blues have been forced to look out for a new player in this position following the decision made by Marc Cucurella to try and leave this summer.
The Spaniard has always wanted to return to his home country before the end of his playing career, and Atletico Madrid are amongst the sides interested in signing him.
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Chelsea eye Nathaniel Brown as Marc Cucurella replacement
While the Blues have been impressed with Jorrel Hato, they will need some competition for his place in the side, and are looking to achieve this with Nathaniel Brown.
According to TeamTalk, Chelsea are prepared to battle with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United to sign him this summer.
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Brown has been named in the Germany squad for the upcoming World Cup after his excellent form in the Bundesliga, and has a real chance of becoming a starter.
This will be a great opportunity for him to prove himself to those interested sides, especially at a time where a new manager will be setting out a clean state for the Chelsea side.
Xabi Alonso officially gets to work at the start of July, and has experience facing up against Brown already in his career.
Xabi Alonso has experience against Nathaniel Brown
During his excellent tenure in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, they enjoyed a strong record against Eintracht Frankfurt.
This included a 4-1 win where Brown lined up for their opponents as a young, promising talent.
The German lined up as a wing-back in that game, and would offer Alonso the flexibility to move to a back five if he was brought into Stamford Bridge.
Hato seems to prefer playing in a more central role, which could lend him to a more regular role as the left-sided member of the back three.
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